Android Bytes (powered by Esper) is the podcast that dives deep into the engineering and business decisions behind the world’s most popular OS. https://www.esper.io Android powers over 3 billion devices worldwide and is the platform of choice for over a thousand companies. You’ll find Android on smartphones, tablets, watches, TV, cars, kiosks, and so much more. How does Google architect Android to run on so many form factors, and how do companies fork AOSP to make it run on even more devices? These are the kinds of questions the Android Bytes podcast considers each week. Join cohosts Mishaal Rahman and David Ruddock, two journalists with extensive knowledge covering the Android OS platform and ecosystem, as they speak to system architects, kernel engineers, app developers, and other distinguished experts in the Android space. Get in touch with us at Esper.io if you’re looking to use Android for your product — we have the experience you need.
How Wear OS brings Android to your wrist
On this episode, we seek insight on Wear OS, formerly known as Android Wear. As with any other operating system Google has its hands in, there are some unique challenges that developers have had to deal with. Add to that the general malaise the software has experienced over the past several years and you could say that this ship needed to turn around. What does Wear OS 3.0 do to help with that? We're joined by https://twitter.com/Deadman_Android (Sean Hoyt), an Android developer who worked on the https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2106691934/blocks-the-worlds-first-modular-smartwatch (BLOCKS) and https://github.com/OpenWatchProject (Open Watch) smartwatch concepts, and https://www.reddit.com/user/DYNAlogix (Greg Viczian), a Wear OS app developer best known for his https://bubble.dynalogix.eu/ (Bubble Cloud launcher). 01:42 - How did Android Wear get its start? What was using it like? 08:36 - What made it challenging for third-party devs to work on Android Wear/Wear OS? 17:27 - What happens when you try to cram a full version of Android onto a smartwatch? 24:58 - What is the app development experience for Wear OS? 32:30 - What does Wear OS 3.0 bring and what does Samsung have to do with all of it? 41:57 - What does the future hold for the success or failure of Wear OS? Android Bytes is hosted by Mishaal Rahman, Senior Technical Editor, and David Ruddock, Editor in Chief, of Esper. https://twitter.com/MishaalRahman (Mishaal's Twitter) https://twitter.com/RDRv3 (David's Twitter) For more about Esper, visit us. https://blog.esper.io/ (Esper Blog) https://www.esper.io/ (Official Esper site) https://www.esper.io/book-demo (Book an Esper Demo) Our music is "https://home96.bandcamp.com/track/19 (19)" by https://twitter.com/RNDYGFFE (HOME) and is licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ (CC BY 3.0).
How does Esper build on Android with Foundation?
On this episode, David and Mishaal chat with Esper's very own Varun Chitre about Foundation, the Android distribution we provide to our clients for use on their fleets of various machines be it a kiosk or a walkie-talkie. We begin with the basics of why you'd want to deploy a new OS on new hardware — because we all know how enterprise fleets cling to life well past their "use by" dates. 0:35 - What is provisioning and how do you do it efficiently when you have hundreds of devices to set up? 6:03 - What are the key differences in managing provisions with BYOD versus corporate-issued devices? 16:39 - What are the challenges in servicing these devices with infrastructural services from different sources including Google, device makers, and AOSP? 29:49 - What security risks come with a lack of over-the-air software updates? 33:33 - Is it possible to get a robust Android experience loading it onto old Windows machines you might already have? Android Bytes is hosted by Mishaal Rahman, Senior Technical Editor, and David Ruddock, Editor in Chief, of Esper. https://twitter.com/MishaalRahman (Mishaal's Twitter) https://twitter.com/RDRv3 (David's Twitter) For more about Esper, visit us. https://blog.esper.io/ (Esper Blog) https://www.esper.io/ (Official Esper site) https://www.esper.io/book-demo (Book an Esper Demo) Our music is "https://home96.bandcamp.com/track/19 (19)" by https://twitter.com/RNDYGFFE (HOME) and is licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ (CC BY 3.0).
How to make Android (AOSP) without Google
If there's any one thing to take away from this week's episode, it's that you shouldn't toy around with pushing plain AOSP and GMS on your devices. Of course, we've got all the reasons why. We're pleased to be joined by https://twitter.com/_cdesai?lang=en (Chirayu Desai), one of the developers of the FOSS-focused https://calyxos.org/ (CalyxOS). 01:00 - What features do Android Open Source Project builds actually have? Which ones are dependent on Google Mobile Services? 12:55 - What are some of AOSP's own feature shortcomings? 18:22 - What is CalyxOS's approach and why does it take that path? 24:36 - Why is it such a big deal to ditch GMS? Are there ways to get around it? 41:32 - Why not just ship devices with just AOSP and GMS? Android Bytes is hosted by Mishaal Rahman, Senior Technical Editor, and David Ruddock, Editor in Chief, of Esper. https://twitter.com/MishaalRahman (Mishaal's Twitter) https://twitter.com/RDRv3 (David's Twitter) For more about Esper, visit us. https://blog.esper.io/ (Esper Blog) https://www.esper.io/ (Official Esper site) https://www.esper.io/book-demo (Book an Esper Demo) Our music is "https://home96.bandcamp.com/track/19 (19)" by https://twitter.com/RNDYGFFE (HOME) and is licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ (CC BY 3.0).
Android Auto deep dive: Wireless, reverse engineering, and more
On this week's episode, we take a good, long look at Android Auto (and a sidelong glance at Android Automotive) including the technical nuts and bolts of how it works and the seemingly immovable burdens that present when Google partners with automakers. We're joined by https://github.com/borconi (Emil Borconi-Szedressy), a co-developer of the nifty https://my.captivate.fm/aawireless.info (AAWireless) dongle to enable wireless Android Auto in otherwise-incompatible vehicles and the creator of the https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gb.xxy.hr (Headunit Reloaded) app which enables Android Auto in aftermarket head units. 02:27 - How were in-vehicle infotainment systems coming along prior to Android Auto? 08:56 - What are the experiential differences between Android Auto and Android Automotive? 17:30 - What is the essence of Android Auto? How does it work? 31:03 - What happens on the Android device when Auto is turned on? 40:17 - What does the future look like for Android Auto? Android Bytes is hosted by Mishaal Rahman, Senior Technical Editor, and David Ruddock, Editor in Chief, of Esper. https://twitter.com/MishaalRahman (Mishaal's Twitter) https://twitter.com/RDRv3 (David's Twitter) For more about Esper, visit us. https://blog.esper.io/ (Esper Blog) https://www.esper.io/ (Official Esper site) https://www.esper.io/book-demo (Book an Esper Demo) Our music is "https://home96.bandcamp.com/track/19 (19)" by https://twitter.com/RNDYGFFE (HOME) and is licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ (CC BY 3.0).
The secret world of Android SafetyNet
On this week's episode, we get caught up in the whirlwind of one of the many such cat-and-mouse games in Android development between power users and app developers which involves root access, trusted environments, security checks, and Google. What's happened and what's up next in this seemingly never-ending treadmill and what good is there for it to exist? You'd be surprised. We're joined by https://kdrag0n.dev/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter (Danny Lin), an independent Android developer, and https://twitter.com/linuxct (Sergio Castell), a mobile security analyst and longtime modder best known as https://linuxct.space/ (linuxct). 02:09 - What is SafetyNet and what does it do? 06:41 - How do modders get around SafetyNet? 11:22 - What advantages does each side of this battle have? 15:33 - What is hardware attestation? What makes it hard to break? Can it be bypassed? 24:50 - What options do developers have in ensuring their apps are operating in safe envrionments? 32:26 - What's the overall outlook as Google begins to replace SafetyNet with its new Play Integrity API? Android Bytes is hosted by Mishaal Rahman, Senior Technical Editor, and David Ruddock, Editor in Chief, of Esper. https://twitter.com/MishaalRahman (Mishaal's Twitter) https://twitter.com/RDRv3 (David's Twitter) For more about Esper, visit us. https://blog.esper.io/ (Esper Blog) https://www.esper.io/ (Official Esper site) https://www.esper.io/book-demo (Book an Esper Demo) Our music is "https://home96.bandcamp.com/track/19 (19)" by https://twitter.com/RNDYGFFE (HOME) and is licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ (CC BY 3.0).
Is it too late for Android on the desktop?
On this week's episode, we pile in on Android's potential convergence play with traditional (and not-so-traditional) desktop and laptop computing. Can this operating system get to a "5-in-1" paradise? We're joined by Juan Carlos Bagnell, longtime commentator (AKA http://somegadgetguy.com/ (SomeGadgetGuy)), and Braden Farmer, creator of the app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farmerbb.taskbar&hl=en_US&gl=US (Taskbar). 02:05 - How did the desktop-ification of Android start out? 08:52 - How did Microsoft's attempt with Continuum on Windows Mobile fare? 12:09 - What did Samsung and other OEMs do to pick up the baton? Do they have a sustainable interest in developing desktop continuity? 23:45 - How does a phone communicate with external devices in the context of continuation — both wired and wirelessly? 34:43 - Where do OEMs and consumers get incentives to foster, use, and make viable desktop mode for Android? 43:24 - What are the deep technical aspects that make Taskbar work? 47:34 - Is Android a good candidate for workflows that include freeform windows? Android Bytes is hosted by Mishaal Rahman, Senior Technical Editor, and David Ruddock, Editor in Chief, of Esper. https://twitter.com/MishaalRahman (Mishaal's Twitter) https://twitter.com/RDRv3 (David's Twitter) For more about Esper, visit us. https://blog.esper.io/ (Esper Blog) https://www.esper.io/ (Official Esper site) https://www.esper.io/book-demo (Book an Esper Demo) Our music is "https://home96.bandcamp.com/track/19 (19)" by https://twitter.com/RNDYGFFE (HOME) and is licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ (CC BY 3.0).
Building a more secure OS based on Android
On this week's episode, we discuss how to overcome some of the challenges in building your own image of Android to use on any device, particularly where security is a concern. We're excited to be joined by one of the developers behind one such project that's made headlines recently, Gabriel of GrapheneOS. 01:02 - Are we talking about custom ROMs? 02:51 - What does GrapheneOS do that AOSP doesn't? 12:04 - Why can't I install a custom OS on my existing Android device? 19:15 - How can I get apps to work on my custom Android-based OS? 28:26 - Why are Android update guarantees still so lackluster? You can learn more about GrapheneOS at grapheneos.org, and you can try it out on your Pixel device with their easy-to-use web installer. Android Bytes is hosted by Mishaal Rahman, Senior Technical Editor, and David Ruddock, Editor in Chief, of Esper. https://twitter.com/MishaalRahman (Mishaal's Twitter) https://twitter.com/RDRv3 (David's Twitter) For more about Esper, visit us. https://blog.esper.io/ (Esper Blog) https://www.esper.io/ (Official Esper site) https://www.esper.io/book-demo (Book an Esper Demo) Our music is "https://home96.bandcamp.com/track/19 (19)" by https://twitter.com/RNDYGFFE (HOME) and is licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ (CC BY 3.0).
The past, present, and future of Android tablets
On this week's episode, we go full Christmas Carol on the evolution of Android tablets, focusing on how Google gave them a special treatment with version 3.0 Honeycomb, then undoing all of that shortly after before finally giving them another look in the past couple of years thanks to the rise of foldable phones in the consumer space. J.R. Raphael, author of the https://www.androidintel.net/ (Android Intelligence newsletter), joins us. 02:26 - How did Honeycomb come about and what was it like? 09:19 - Why did Android for tablets die? 16:18 - Why is Google interested in optimizing Android for larger screens again? 22:54 - Why not leave all this to the OEMs? 30:38 - What's there to look forward to in Android 12L and 13? 37:32 - Is Google making a convergence play between PCs, Chrome OS, and Android? 44:04 - How does Esper adapt to the future of Android tablets? Android Bytes is hosted by Mishaal Rahman, Senior Technical Editor, and David Ruddock, Editor in Chief, of Esper. https://twitter.com/MishaalRahman (Mishaal's Twitter) https://twitter.com/RDRv3 (David's Twitter) For more about Esper, visit us. https://blog.esper.io/ (Esper Blog) https://www.esper.io/ (Official Esper site) https://www.esper.io/book-demo (Book an Esper Demo) Our music is "https://home96.bandcamp.com/track/19 (19)" by https://twitter.com/RNDYGFFE (HOME) and is licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ (CC BY 3.0).
Will Google’s latest attempt at fixing Android updates work?
On this week's episode, David and Mishaal discuss the Google Requirements Freeze program with Rashed Abdel-Tawab from CIS Mobile. The GRF program could prove to be a double-edge blade for the Android ecosystem, and its implications for OS update support are significant. Android Bytes is hosted by Mishaal Rahman, Senior Technical Editor, and David Ruddock, Editor in Chief, of Esper. https://twitter.com/MishaalRahman (Mishaal's Twitter) https://twitter.com/RDRv3 (David's Twitter) For more about Esper, visit us. https://blog.esper.io/ (Esper Blog) https://www.esper.io/ (Official Esper site) https://www.esper.io/book-demo (Book an Esper Demo)
The hidden world of Android permissions (w/ Ilya and João Dias)
Sign up for the 451 Research and Esper webinar: https://www.esper.io/webinar/digital-transformation-for-dedicated-devices On this week's Android Bytes, we're diving deep into the obscure world of Android permissions with Ilya and João Dias (Tasker), two experts on the Android permission architecture and the many changes it's undergone over the years. Android Bytes is hosted by Mishaal Rahman, Senior Technical Editor, and David Ruddock, Editor in Chief, of Esper. https://twitter.com/MishaalRahman (Mishaal's Twitter) https://twitter.com/RDRv3 (David's Twitter) For more about Esper, visit us. https://blog.esper.io/ (Esper Blog) https://www.esper.io/ (Official Esper site) https://www.esper.io/book-demo (Book an Esper Demo)
Android 13: First look and reactions (w/ João Dias)
Sign up for the 451 Research and Esper webinar: https://www.esper.io/webinar/digital-transformation-for-dedicated-devices On a very special Android 13 bonus episode of Android Bytes, David and Mishaal are joined by João Dias of Tasker, the world's most popular Android power user application. We dive into Android 13's new APIs, features, and hidden nuggets that are actively being uncovered in the first Developer Preview. You won't want to miss this one! Check out Tasker https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.dinglisch.android.taskerm (here). Android Bytes is hosted by Mishaal Rahman, Senior Technical Editor, and David Ruddock, Editor in Chief, of Esper. https://twitter.com/MishaalRahman (Mishaal's Twitter) https://twitter.com/RDRv3 (David's Twitter) For more about Esper, visit us. https://blog.esper.io/ (Esper Blog) https://www.esper.io/ (Official Esper site) https://www.esper.io/book-demo (Book an Esper Demo)
How Android “listens” to you with ultra low power sensors (w/ Kieron Quinn)
Sign up for the 451 Research and Esper webinar: https://www.esper.io/webinar/digital-transformation-for-dedicated-devices Ever wondered how Android can just listen and identify a song at any time? Or how your phone can tell you've been in a car crash? Using an obscure Android resource that interacts with ultra low power sensors, Google has created powerful always-on integrations. But why aren't other Android devices taking advantage of this? Android Bytes is hosted by Mishaal Rahman, Senior Technical Editor, and David Ruddock, Editor in Chief, of Esper. https://twitter.com/MishaalRahman (Mishaal's Twitter) https://twitter.com/RDRv3 (David's Twitter) For more about Esper, visit us. https://blog.esper.io/ (Esper Blog) https://www.esper.io/ (Official Esper site) https://www.esper.io/book-demo (Book an Esper Demo)
The Android launcher is much more powerful than you think (w/ Kevin Barry, Nova Launcher)
Sign up for the 451 Research and Esper webinar here. https://bit.ly/3Jjyyam On this episode, we chat with one of Android's most well-known and longest-standing launcher developers, Kevin Barry. Kevin is known for his massively popular app Nova Launcher, but he's an all around expert on all things Android interface and homescreen, and we break down some of the changes Google is introducing with Android 12L, Material You, and more.
The Android 13 teaser episode
Sign up for the 451 Research and Esper webinar: https://www.esper.io/webinar/digital-transformation-for-dedicated-devices On this bonus episode of Android Bytes, David and Mishaal discuss some of the upcoming features in the Android 13 platform. Yes, the one that isn't announced yet.
Android on TVs without Android TV (w/ Janko Roettgers and Nolen Johnson)
Sign up for the 451 Research and Esper webinar: https://www.esper.io/webinar/digital-transformation-for-dedicated-devices This week, we talk about Google's plans for the Android TV platform amidst a larger push for its new Google TV product to TV and set top box manufacturers. We're joined by Janko Roettgers (Protocol) and Nolen Johnson (Lineage OS) to break down just what Google's big screen strategy is, and how it's evolving in the face of a rapidly changing content landscape.